


Unwanted ghosts from the past

by Shackett74



Category: Mass Effect - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Implied Jealousy, Implied Relationships, Implied scheming
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-05
Updated: 2020-05-05
Packaged: 2021-03-02 04:00:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,254
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23965039
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shackett74/pseuds/Shackett74
Summary: Hackett receives a visit, as surprising as it is unwanted, but he finds out who was really behind Major Antella's request to detain Commander Shepard after her resurrection...ME Timeline: End of ME 2, and Transformations and beginnings part IIA one shot that develops an idea from Transformations and beginnings anew part II, and is told from Hackett's POV."IA" means System's Alliance Internal Affairs Division, and my secrecy around Hackett's possible old involvement with Smith, is intentional. It will be revealed in time...  ;-)No beta.
Comments: 3
Kudos: 2





	Unwanted ghosts from the past

**Alliance Fleet Headquarters, Arcturus station 2186**

"Admiral, there's a Colonel Smith from Internal Affairs asking to see you", one of the staff aides hailed over the HQ's intercom, interrupting his review of all the active N7's current mission reports.

A voluminous work although being summaries, but even now with the preparations and recent work with the revised Orders of battle, Hackett tried to keep himself updated with their Special Forces whenever he had a spare moment.

The SF belonged to, and operated within, all the Navy but had been under the overall responsibility of the Fifth Fleet for as long as he could remember. Basically because the special operations HQ was located on the SSV Isaac Newton, a battle carrier designated to the Fifth. 

He himself had served on the Newton's predecessor during his first adventurous years in the 50's, leading many daredevil teams, consisting of soldiers and scientists alike, on high risk explorations through newly opened relays.

And instead of sending him off to the recently opened ICT school in Brazil, which he had regretted at first, his superiors claimed to have better use of him as a naval officer. So he obliged, of course, but silently kept the Special forces and Operations close to his heart. As it eventually would turn out as he rose in rank, luckily also under his overall responsibility. 

But what the heck an Internal Affairs officer was doing here, and Sylvia Smith in particular, that was beyond him. In part because it was unusual anyone showed up without appointment, perhaps an assumption about his high rank people made. But in such case one he regretted people having.  
Rather, he always tried to take his time to talk with everyone who wanted to. 

Telling the aid to send her in, he sighed deeply. This wasn't a person he was keen on seeing, in part because of her position and in part because of the ice cold gut feeling she caused.

Soon enough - too soon - a tall, muscular woman with a strong nose and shoulder-length, deep red curls sashayed into his office with a smirk on her lips.

Her appearance and manner instantly resulted in eyebrows narrowing down his nose.

"What can I do for you, Colonel?", Hackett said formally and rather stiff, but she only threw him a glance, smiled a little, and took her time to look around before speaking. 

"Colonel? How formal...I remember a time when.." the woman purred when Hackett interposed with voice low with subtle warning.

"What is your errand here, _Colonel_?"

"No need for the formality, is there now?" She didn't seem deterred, rather her voice sounded like a god damn purr!

Whatever Sylvia Smith's intentions where, they couldn't be good. 

"I came to tell you we have intercepted...threats made by the Batarians aimed at your... _pet_ , Commander Shepard..."

"And?.."

The blood in his veins began to slowly boil at the snide insult aimed at Shepard. An unintentional, and by all means soft, snort left him together with the one word question before he could refrain himself.

"And I'm also very disappointed that you didn't let us interrogate her half a year ago... _Steven_." A taunting in her voice began to replace the purr. She enjoyed this, he could tell.

So.. it was the Colonel who was behind Major Antella's request to bring Shepard in.

Maybe he should have figured, Smith had always been a little too cunning and a little too ambitious, and maybe he'd settled too easily after dealing with heryears ago. 

"Well I'm not, otherwise the Reaper's would be here already."

"The IA simply wishes to know when she might be back, so we can arrange for her protection when she awaits her likely court-martial..." 

She had reached the desk and leaned over it with her hands on the edge of it. 

A wry smile told him the Internal Affairs Colonel had carefully chose her words aiming at a maximum insulting impact, just like she deliberately used the word "pet" before.

When she leaned forward in the quite possessive posture on the other side of his desk, he leaned back in his chair widening the distance between them again, as he at the same time put his hands behind his head, knowing very well she otherwise would interpret his posture as defensive.

There was a darkness to her nowadays, not that it hadn't been there before too, only now it was accentuated and making him seriously uneasy. 

"IA will of course be forewarned when she decides to hand over the Normandy and herself."

"When _she_ _decides_ to?", Smith asked incredulously, suddenly obviously frustrated. A barely contained flash of anger glinted in her brown eyes.

 _She didn't like that, did she?_ A rare but wicked satisfaction filled him at that.

No one messed with the Navy's specialists, and especially not his Commander.

_Mine?..Hmm._

"Certainly. We have full trust in her capacity and judgment, and expect her to soon be back with us.

But it's good to hear the Internal affairs take the Commander's security seriously. _We_ will all be grateful for that."

Intentionally emphasizing the 'we', he let Smith know she wasn't the only one who could imply things.

"Was there something else" he asked lightly and leaned forward again, reaching for a datapad. It was very impolite, but whatever her motives with this visit were, he didn't want any part in it.

" _Her_?..." Annoyed the Internal Affairs officer repeated and took a few steps back from his desk.

"Yes _her_ , Commander Shepard, N7 and Spectre. The very same. And to whom System's Alliance and the galaxy owes more than we can ever repay!"

Maybe he overstretched there as Smith threw him an odd concerned look from over his bookshelves again.

But she was apparently trying the charming-strategy again and threw him an artificial smile.

"Now _was_ there something else, Colonel? I have loads of MR's to review within the hour."

They both knew very well she could have - should have - contacted him by other means.

"Oh, what a beautiful book, she blurted out ignoring his question while slowly moving towards the doors. She'd seen the illustrated, large Rumi on display on one of his many bookshelves. 

It was like a silent power struggle between them, one he'd been dragged into just like that, and one he didn't appreciate at all.

"It's a gift... And from someone special..." His revelation was intentional, wanting her to leave and to exaggerate it even further he took a pad into his hand and looked down at it.

A more obvious dismissal than that was basically impossible, but she just gave him a new smile as she approached the doors.

"I was hoping you would consider a dinner, just like old times..."

Dumbfounded at her incredulous, shameless suggestion he looked up at her not knowing what to say even.

Tilting her head the voice had gone cold, "...but realize that is not going to happen.

See you around then, _Admiral_."

A heavy exhale left him when the doors had closed and he shook his head. Whatever that was about he didn't have time for it. He knew she didn't like Shepard and that others within System's Alliance shared her views. But her reason for not liking Shepard was personal.

Shaking off the uneasy feeling the best he could, Hackett told the staff aides to dismiss further informal visits as they were to be processed through the usual channels _only._ Especially from the Colonel and IA.

Then he returned to his N7 reviews.


End file.
